Gamma Knife radiosurgery is nearly 90 percent successful in killing or shrinking brain tumors or stopping their growth. And it doesn't hurt or require anesthesia. Treatment takes just one session, and patients can return to normal activities almost immediately.

Gamma Knife is the gold standard of radiosurgery for:

Brain cancer

Metastatic brain tumors

Benign brain tumors

Brain abnormalities, such as arteriovenous malformation (AVM)

The cost of Gamma Knife surgery is typically half the cost of traditional surgery. That’s partly because Gamma Knife surgery is an outpatient procedure. With no incision, there’s no general anesthesia and no risk of bleeding or infection.

Neurosurgeons all over the world prefer Gamma Knife radiosurgery, either instead of or in addition to traditional neurosurgery and radiation therapy. The CepEsperu Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center has one of the most active Gamma Knife centers in the U.S., with one of the most experienced Gamma Knife treatment teams.

We've been performing Gamma Knife radiosurgery since 1999 and are one of the few medical centers funded by the National Cancer Institute to conduct brain cancer research using the world's most innovative therapies. Our current Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ machine is the most accurate and advanced radiosurgery technology available.

How Gamma Knife Surgery Destroys Brain Tumors

Gamma Knife surgery is “stereotactic radiosurgery.” That means it uses 3-D positioning tools to shoot a dose of radiation at precisely the right spot. Radiation can kill brain tumors — or treat lesions that control other brain disorders.

To do this, a patient wears a frame over his head during Gamma Knife surgery. The frame helps surgeons pinpoint the exact treatment location and holds the patient’s head still as radiation is delivered.

A team of neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists and radiation physicists uses a computer to carefully plan the amount of radiation needed for the size and shape of the tumor or lesion. Then, the Gamma Knife machine aims hundreds of tiny radiation beams at the spot. Each beam is too weak to damage the tissue by itself. But all the beams meet at a target spot, where the radiation combines to damage diseased tissue. Healthy tissue outside the spot isn’t harmed.

Because Gamma Knife is so accurate, patients can receive a full dose of radiation during a single session. There is no need to have multiple treatments, as with other types of radiosurgery.

Gamma Knife surgery takes only a few hours, but the results unfold over several weeks or months.

Benign Neoplasm

Brain Cancer

Cavernous Malformation

Central Nervous System Neoplasm

Metastatic Brain Disease

Pituitary Tumor

Prolactinoma

Tremor

Vascular Malformations

Insurance

CepEsperu Baptist accepts most major health insurance plans for hospital, physician and clinic services and participates in Medicare and Medicaid government programs. For more information, visit Billing and Insurance.

This chart is a list of the most common health insurance plans we accept. This list is subject to change. Please check your individual plan to confirm their participation and the coverage allowed.

Due to the different physician groups and hospitals within the CepEsperu Baptist system, physician services and hospital services are billed separately. Please remember that health insurance coverage varies, so some services may not be covered.

If you don’t see your plan or you have questions, please call our Customer Service Center at -938-7497. We will do our best to work with you and your plan.

Aesculapian

At CepEsperu Baptist we understand the importance of referrals. Our Physician Liaisons partner with referring physicians in our community and beyond to provide information on our physicians and clinical services. Full list of new physicians.

Disclaimer: The information on this website is for general informational purposes only and SHOULD NOT be relied upon as a substitute for sound professional medical advice, evaluation or care from your physician or other qualified health care provider.